Thrive Fitness: The Vegan-Based Training Program for Maximum Strength, Health, and Fitness [Paperback]

Brendan Brazier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2009

On the heels of his acclaimed vegan nutrition guide, Thrive, professional Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier presents his own easy-to-apply system for total health and fitness, complete with detailed exercises and photos. Thrive Fitness explains how to gain maximum results in minimal time. Whether you’re a time-crunched beginner or an experienced athlete, Thrive Fitness will help you sculpt strong, lean muscles; enhance the quality of your sleep; reduce body fat; minimize your risk of disease; increase energy; sharpen mental clarity; cut sugar cravings; and prevent sports injuries.

Thrive Fitness also features:

• A complete 6-week workout plan and training log
• Illustrated exercises with step-by-step instructions
• Benefits and usage of the top 15 foods to fuel workouts
• 30 vegan, performance-enhancing recipes
• Strategies to boost creativity, productivity, and mental sharpness

Editorial Reviews

Review

Library Journal, 12/3/09
“Essential for vegans who want to get on the fast track to athletic fitness.”

Taste for Life, 3/1/10
“If you think that “vegan” and “athlete” are mutually exclusive terms, meet Brendan Brazier, Ironman triathlete and long-time vegan.”

About the Author

Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete and creator of VEGA, an award-winning plant-based nutritional line, is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on athleticism and plant-based nutrition. He lives in Los Angeles, California, and Vancouver, British Colombia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; 1 edition (December 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738213624
• ISBN-13: 978-0738213620
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diets & Weight Loss > Vegetarian

More About the Author

Brendan Brazier is the creator and host of the Thrive Forward web series, based on his bestselling Thrive book trilogy (Thrive, Thrive Fitness, and Thrive Foods). Brendan is a former professional Ironman triathlete, and the creator of an award-winning line of whole food nutritional products called Vega. He is also a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

Brendan is recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities on plant-based nutrition for athletes. In an online Cornell University certificate program, Brendan presents a lecture based on his best-selling books entitled: Plant-Based Diet and Elite Athleticism. It is part of a new course presented by eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Foundation. www.ecornell.com/brazier

Brendan was chosen as one of the 25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians by VegNews Magazine, the Top 40 Under 40 most influential people in the health industry by Natural Food Merchandiser and has been nominated for the prestigious Manning Innovation Award twice for creating Vega.

Brendan's intentions of spreading the word of an ethical, environmentally friendly, and healthy lifestyle through plant-based foods have taken him across North America, speaking at events such as the Chicago Green Festival and the United States Humane Society Gala. Brendan was also invited to address US Congress on Capitol Hill, where he spoke of the significant social and economic benefits that could be achieved by improving personal health through better diet. The focus of his speech was to draw attention to the role that food plays in the prevention of most chronic diseases currently plaguing North Americans.

Spanning the whole month of October of 2008, Brendan was a keynote presenter on a cross-Canada university speaking tour called "Students for Sustainability." Speaking at 21 universities, along with others such David Suzuki and Stephan Lewis, the tour went coast to coast offering practical environmental preservation solutions to students. It was Canada's largest environmental tour.

Aimed at helping individuals and companies improve productivity through greater fitness Brendan's second book, Thrive Fitness: Mental and Physical Strength for Life, was published by Penguin in January, 2009. And was published in the United Sates by Da Capo in January, 2010.

Brendan's latest book (September, 2011) is called Thrive Foods and includes 200 plant-based whole food recipes. It also includes three chapters dedicated to assessing the environmental resources used in food production. In June of 2012, it won the an International Book Award for "Best Health Book." You may view video trailer on this page for more info.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

164 of 179 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars His first book is WAY better January 22, 2010

By MikayP

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love his first book "thrive diet" and live by it daily. So due to this i bought this book as a serious endurance athlete who wishes to learn more.

Now although they can be related, being a vegan is basically about diet in my view. Exercise is another lifestyle. So although I didn't think about it when I bought the book, a "vegan based training program" doesn't really make sense. Should have been labeled something like "a training program with a vegan diet" which is more straightforward saying that they are not the same.

It might have been my fault to assume, but I was thinking/hoping that this book would be how be became a professional triathlete and how he trained the most efficiently as an endurance athlete. My fault to assume, but it's basically how to workout at home with body resistance routines. Which helps as an endurance athlete, but not the most useful to buy a book for.

If you read his first book, the first 1/3 of this book is basically a waste. It's repeating what he said in the first book about "why a plant based diet is better for performance", but in less detail due to him needing to talk about new things in the remaining pages.

Some of the info thats new is helpful. He talks about many different things when it comes to becoming in better fitness shape. The problem with the book however is that each topic is very short and he doesn't go into detail due to his need to talk about many things.

Although I love how his first book really helped me and changed the way I fuel my body, this one is really a waste. Few things are new and minimally useful, but overall none of the diet stuff is really new. All the stuff he talks about in this book is in the first book, but in less detail.

I watched interviews of him before, and every question he tried to spin it into talking about his food line "Vega". Due to this I didn't buy his first book till I asked someone and they said that his recipes, in the first book, gave every ingredient that he used and didn't just say "use Vega + fruit". In this book unfortunately many of his recipes are just vega + a banana smoothie. And whenever he had the chance he seemed to plug his food line. If I knew that this was the case I wouldn't have bought the book at all due to the fact of him trying to sell something else after I spent my money on his book.

Take my advice, buy his first book and get another book that is targeted to the sport of your choice which is more detailed than this.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars How to add a strength component to your endurance training February 6, 2010

By Matt Frazier

Format:Paperback

Before I get to what Brendan Brazier's Thrive Fitness is, let me start with what it isn't. It's not a diet plan: Thrive, Brendan's first book, already went there. And while I consider Thrive to be somewhat revolutionary in its comprehensive treatment of the vegan diet for athletes, Thrive Fitness isn't going to change the way we look at training.

What Thrive Fitness is, however, is an answer to the question "How should I incorporate strength training into my current endurance program?" This is a question I've asked myself a lot, wondering at what point the risk of injury outweighs the potential for strength gains. Brendan's answer takes the form of a set of workouts, to be done at a gym or at home with minimal equipment, that can be laid on top of one's current running, cycling, or swimming schedule.

Though a few guidelines for cardio workouts are given and some special attention paid for those brand new to running, most of the focus regarding endurance and cardio workouts is on what to eat before, during and after them. About twenty "sport-specific" recipes (energy gels, energy pudding, energy bars, pre- and post-workout drinks, sports drink, etc.) are provided, including several original versions of what eventually became Brendan's commercial Vega line of products. What's more, by incorporating new superfoods, several of the recipes in Thrive Fitness are nutritional improvements over those given in Thrive.

My favorite part of Thrive Fitness, though, is what makes it unique in a sea of other fitness books---the focus on energy, sleep, stress, and non-physical benefits of exercise, such as creativity, active meditation, and the effects of endorphins. I found that reading about these added perks, rather than the standard fat-loss, muscle-gain fare of other exercise books, motivated me more than anything has in a while to hit the gym or to get out for a run.

So would I recommend Thrive Fitness? To complete exercise newbies, no. To accomplished endurance athletes who are happy with their current strength-training regimen, probably not, though useful insights could be gleaned from the aforementioned section on the non-physical benefits and the "Fuel for Fitness" chapter, including the training recipes. But to those who have run a marathon, a half, or even multiple such events, and are looking to take their fitness to the next level by adding a strength component to their training, absolutely. Thrive Fitness provides that component in a flexible manner that can serve as either a training overhaul or a simple tune-up, whichever is desired.

41 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eat to Thrive July 20, 2009

By Rev. Dr. Cyn

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Brendan's books are a must-read for everyone who wants to thrive versus just survive. You do not have to become a radical vegan to enjoy the nutritional guidelines in Thrive Fitness. Anyone can benefit tremendously from implementing the pre-, during, and post-workout recipes.

I am training for a triathlon, and simply cannot believe how much more quickly my body recovers from strenuous exercise now that I am following Brendan's recommendations for what to eat before I work out, while I'm doing it, and after the fact.

A bit of advice to all you animal product consumers: Even you will LOVE the sport drinks, puddings, and smoothies. Try them -- your body will thank you!